


The World is a Fishbowl

by JenIchigo



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future Fish, Astronaut Hazuki Nagisa, Firefighter Tachibana Makoto, M/M, Mermaid Stories, Merman Nanase Haruka, Nagisa being Nagisa, Police Officer Matsuoka Rin, Police Officer Yamazaki Sousuke, Rin has a dog, Scientist Ryuugazaki Rei, mention of The Alchemist
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-03
Updated: 2016-02-17
Packaged: 2018-04-29 18:20:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5137874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JenIchigo/pseuds/JenIchigo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One stormy night, Officer Matsuoka rescues a merman. Upon the order of Captain Mikoshiba, he takes the creature to his home. He could not speak, but Rin could understand him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Storm

I met him in spring.

 

It happened on one stormy night when Sousuke and I were rescuing the fishermen who were out in the sea. We were about to head to shore when one of my mates spotted a person holding onto the rocks while the waves crashed as mercilessly as the rain. I ordered the boat to be steered to where that person was. I reached out and pulled the poor man into the boat and, man, we were in for the shock of our lives.

“I-is that for real!?” Momotarou, one of our squad trainees, asked in disbelief. His golden eyes were as wide as saucers.The person’s- or whatever should we call him- tail flicked weakly.

“Real or not, he’s still injured! We better head back fast!”

“Nitori’s right. I’m bringing us to shore now,” Sousuke said as he drove the boat.

 

 

Back at the station, everyone agreed to never talk about what we had found during the mission. Even the fishermen were obliged to stay quiet. It was by the request of our head chief, Seijuuro Mikoshiba. He didn’t want to cause a commotion. Sure, the guy may be loud, but he is well aware that there are things better left unsaid.

 

 

And now here’s the mermaid, I mean merman, sitting in my tub while I read some Paulo Coehlo. The merman was looking outside the window and then at the rubber duck floating in front of him. He picked up the toy and examined it with curiosity of a child. He then jumped and dropped the duck back into the water when it let out a squeak. I chuckled lightly when I caught a glimpse of it and then went back to reading. The merman picked up the toy again and gave it a squeeze. And another. And another. And another. An amused smile appeared on his lips. He tugged my sleeve and pointed at toy and the sounds it made. “I see you like the rubber duck,” I said with a smile. He then sank back into the tub and busied himself with the toy duck. When the squeaking stopped, I found him peering from the edge of the tub. His eyes were focused on the book I was reading.

“Hmm? Oh, this? It’s The Alchemist. It’s about a man named Santiago who goes on a journey that changes his life forever. It’s a great story, though I don’t think you’ll enjoy the book since it doesn’t have any pictures.”

He gave me a little nod and lowered himself into the water. Just then, the doorbell rang. I put the book aside and stood up. Out of nowhere, I felt a hand cling onto my shirt. I looked down and the merman stared at me with wide pleading eyes. He didn’t need to say that he didn’t want me to leave.

“I’ll be back quick, alright?” I promised him with a pat on his head. I padded down to the front door. When I opened it, Sousuke was there.

 

“Yo,” he greeted coolly. “Yo,” I greeted him back. I stepped aside and let him walk inside. As I was watching him take his shoes off, I asked him, “You want anything to eat?”

“Nah, I’m good,” he replied as he set his shoes aside.

“I got Doritos and Coke.”

“We can talk in the kitchen.”

 

Sousuke and I walked to the kitchen. He then sat down on one of the stools at the counter. I scrounged through the cupboards and brought out a bag of Doritos then went to the fridge and handed Sousuke a can of soda. “So what brings you here?” I asked.

“Just dropped by to see how your pet was doing,” answered Sousuke as he opened the bag chips and ate a few pieces.

“Spike’s in the backyard. Probably sleeping.”

“I meant your pet fish.” He opened the Coke and took a sip.

“He’s not a pet, he’s…” Wait, what do I call the merman? Companion? We just met each other last night. Friend? I’m not really sure if he likes me.

“He’s someone I should be looking over because Mikoshiba told me to,” I told him, exasperated. He shrugged and took another drink. “Anyway, he seems to be doing well. He’s in my bathtub right now.”

“He is? Wait, how are you going to take a bath?”

“I have a bathroom downstairs, remember? It isn’t as big as the one upstairs but it has a shower and a toilet,” I replied. “That’s good enough.”

“How long are you going to keep him?”

“Not sure. I guess when he wants to return to the ocean or when Sei tells me to go back to the station,” I answered with a shrug. I looked at the sliding door that led to the backyard. Spike was looking through the glass door with his tail wagging back and forth. I walked to the door and slid it open. He lept in and gave a cheery yelp.

“Have you introduced your Labrador to the merman yet?”

“No.” I looked down at Spike and stroked his fur. He gave out another cheery yelp and stuck out his tongue. “But now that you’ve mentioned it, I plan to.”

He hummed in response and kept on eating.

“Ah! That reminds me, I need to check on him.” I walked out of the kitchen with haste in my footsteps.

“He’s still in your tub. Like he has any other place to go,” Sousuke called out from the kitchen.

“I told him I wouldn’t take long,” I answered from the hallway.

 

I sprinted back to the bathroom. Spike was following me and keeping up with my pace. When I got to the door, the merman turned towards me. His face lit up when he saw me but then dropped when he saw Spike.

“Sorry if I took long,” I began. I settled back into the chair I placed beside the tub. Spike then stood on his hind legs and leaned against the tub. He began sniffing the merman curiously. The latter backed away and caused some of the water to spill from the tub. “It’s okay, it’s okay,” I consoled the frightened merman. “This is Spike, he’s friendly,” I said as I stroked the Labrador’s head. He gave out a gleeful, “Woof!”

The merman then reached out to touch Spike. He slowly stretched out his hand for the spot between the dog’s ears, but retracted it when Spike started smelling his hand. “Don’t worry, this little guy won’t bite,” I assured. He reached out again and softly scratched Spike behind his ears. The Labrador relaxed into the touch and closed his eyes. The merman smiled as he patted the dog.

“I see they’re getting along.”

Sousuke was leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. He then approached us and looked down at the merman. The merman stared at him. Blue eyes locked onto a teal pair.

“This is Sousuke- he’s my best friend.”

The merman looked at me then back at Sousuke. He tilted his head slightly. Sousuke’s expression then softened and he smiled at the merman. He stretched out his hand and uttered, “Pleased to meet you.” The merman gazed at his open palm, then at his teal eyes, then back at his hand. Slowly, the merman raised his hand and shook it with Sousuke’s. Spike lifted his paw and stretched it out to the merman. The merman shook it, too.

Then from out of the blue, we heard a loud grumbling. Spike barked on reflex while Sousuke and I stared at each other.

“Was that thunder just now?” Sousuke’s thick brows were knitted closely.

“On a clear day? That’s impossible,” I told him. We could all see how bright it was outside. If it wasn’t thunder…

 

…There goes the rumbling again. If it wasn’t thunder then it must be…

 

The merman looked at us then pointed at his slightly open mouth. “Someone’s hungry,” I said with a rather amused chuckle. The merman nodded.

“What do you think he’d like, Rin?”

“I have no idea. I don’t have much in the kitchen either.” I thought for a moment and no sooner, I was already dialing Rei’s number.


	2. Outside

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin and the others try to figure how to make the merman feel at home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMFG THIS CHAPTER TOOK SO LONG q.q but now it's posted! Thanks to everyone who left a kudos ^_^ I've been wanting to finish the other chapters before I put this up. Anywho, without further ado, please read on and leave me any comments and criticisms! (Other than my poor time management)

“Yo, Rei.”

“Ah, good morning, Rin-san--“

“Rin-chaaaaan! How’s your pet mermaid?”

 

A loud high-pitched voice interrupted my conversation with Rei. That voice was all too familiar.

 

“Wha- how did Nagisa know?!” I asked, taken aback.

“He looked through my papers earlier and saw the records,” he explained. “Anyway, is there anything you need?”

“Yeah,” I began. “The merman’s hungry and I don’t know what to feed it.”

“He isn’t like those merpeople who eat human flesh, is he?” Sousuke butted in.

I shot him a glare and the merman frowned. I went back to Rei.

“Tell Sousuke-san that he doesn’t need to worry about that,” Rei replied with little laugh. “Anyway, I’ll come over and have a look. Be there in 15 minutes.”

“Eh? I wanna go toooooo!” There goes that obnoxious loud voice again.

I sighed and rubbed my temples. “Thanks, Rei. I’ll see you later.”

“I’ll see---“

“WE!”

A sigh and faint mutter of “Nagisa-kun” was heard from the other line. “We’ll see you later, Rin-san.”

 

I hanged up and pocketed my phone. I then turned to Sousuke who just said, “Why don’t we feed him some Doritos?”

I snorted. But then again, the merman might like something he can eat around here.

“Gimme a sec,” I said as I walked down to the kitchen. I picked up whatever I could find in the fridge, in the cupboards, on the table and in the shelves- cola, a loaf of bread, half a tray of eggs, a carton of orange juice, a box of leftover hot wings, Hot Pockets in pizza flavor, an opened pack of beef jerky, nori chips and an almost empty gallon of milk.

I brought all the food I could find into the bathroom. The merman eyed them inquisitively. Spike ran to my side and barked excitedly. I had to shake him off when he tried coiling himself around my right leg. “Sorry, little guy, these aren’t for you.” I put the food down on the tiled floor. Sousuke raised an eyebrow. “You’re not going to survive a zombie apocalypse with just that,” he quipped.

“I know but these are all I have,” I explained as I looked through the pile of food. I picked up a jug of milk and uncapped it. I held it close to the merman. He sniffed the opened jug then turned away. “That’s a no, then,” I said as I put the jug down. I reached for the box of hot wings and showed it to the merman. “They’re good. Spike likes them, too.”

The merman shook his head. Spike sauntered over to my left. He knows hot wings when he smells them. “Here.” I handed him a piece and he ate it happily. I picked up a can of cola. “Do you want this one?” The merman just stared. “I want it,” said Sousuke. “You already had one.” I glared at him.

 

 Just then, the doorbell rang.

 

"That must be Rei. Gimme a sec." I got up and padded downstairs and opened the front door. Sure enough, Rei was there. And so was Nagisa.

 

"Why is he here, too?" I asked, referring to the little blond who was a little too enthusiastic.

"I said I'd come over too!" The blond pouted.

"He wanted to see the merman," Rei explained.

 

I let the two of them walk in and led them to the bathroom.

 "An almost reunion in Rin's bathroom- how nice," Sousuke said sarcastically. I rolled my eyes.

"UWAAAAAAH!" Nagisa excitedly ran to the side of the tub, making Spike jump a bit. "It's a real mermaid! How cool is that?!"

"Merman," Rei corrected.

"Does he have a name, Rin-chan?" Nagisa asked. His pink irises were filled with wonder.

 

Come to think of it, I never knew if the merman even had a name. "He can't talk so I wouldn't know." 

"Eh? That's kind of sad... Hmm, why don't we give him a name then?" said Nagisa. The merman tilted his head in question. "What names do you guys have in mind?"

"Wakasa?"

"Zakki?"

"Satoru?"

"Tobio?"

"Iruka?"

"Ah! Rei-chan! Tobio sounds nice!" Nagisa exclaimed. "And then we could spell it with the kanji for flying fish! What do you think?" He asked the merman.

The merman blinked in surprise. "Okay! That's it! Your name is-"

"Haruka." I cut in.

Three pairs (four if you count Spike) of eyes were looking at me as if something grew out of my face. "His name is Haruka," I repeated.

"Hmm... It was this spring when you met him, after all," said Rei. "And he's always blankly staring at the distant," Sousuke stated.

The merman looked around him and tilted his head in wonder. "Ah! It's cute... But it's a girly name," said Nagisa. 

"You're one to talk," I told him.  "So are you, Rinrin!" He retorted and stuck out his tongue.

 

I clicked my tongue in annoyance and just looked at Rei who was examining the merman, no, Haruka. Rei turned to me and said, "I think we should buy Haruka some seafood. After all, it might be likely that he'll eat food he's familiar with."

"But I don't have any of that." I scratched the back of my neck.

"Then we'll buy some," Sousuke stated flatly.

"Yeah! Let's buy food for Haru-chan!" Nagisa jumped excitedly.

 

Well, I can't disagree now. The three of them headed downstairs. I got up but then Haru held my arm and gave me that sad pleading look again.

"Don't worry, we won't take long. In the meantime, I think you should at least eat something while we're gone," I assured him.

He loosened his grip and I patted his head. I got up and handed him a slice from the loaf of bread and placed it on the chair I was sitting on. "I'll just keep this here in case you want any more." I watched him nibble onto the bread curiously while I collected the rest of the food I brought over. Before leaving, I called Spike over. "Watch over Haru, okay?" He nodded and wagged his tail.

"Rin-chaaaaaan! Let's go! Sou-chan said you're driving!" Nagisa shouted from downstairs.

"Alright, alright. I'm coming down now!" I said as I hurried downstairs while making sure that all the food in my arms stayed in place.

 

"About time you got here," Sousuke said when he saw me. "Just let me put these back in the kitchen first." I gestured to the food in my arms. After putting them away, I picked up my car keys and went to the garage. The three of them followed.  And right when I unlocked the car, Nagisa quickly raced ahead of everyone and shouted, "Shotgun!" He got onto the passenger's side while Rei and Sousuke sat in the back. Oh, this is going to be some trip.

 

I drove us out into the streets while Nagisa babbled away.

"So, are we going to get anything else for Haru-chan other than seafood?" He asked.

"Well, I'm not very certain he'll eat anything foreign to him." Rei explained.

"He was eating the bread I gave him," I said. "Though I'm not sure if he's enjoying it."

"You worry too much about him," said Sousuke. I could feel the teasing tone in his voice.

"Shut it," I told him as I stepped harder on the gas.

 

 

We arrived at the supermarket. Nagisa stepped forward and puffed out his chest with confidence. With a fist in the air, he said, "Operation: Get food for Haru-chan begins now!" 

Rei pulled out a cart and called us over. "I think we should head to the seafood section first." I nodded.

 

At the seafood section, Rei looked through the assortment of shellfishes. He then started mumbling something about freshness, temperature and preparation time. He picked some shrimp, crab claws and fresh seaweed. They were placed in separate plastic bags. "These are about 400 yen each, Rin-san," he said before placing them in the cart. "In case he doesn't like them, I could use them and make some hot pot." I said. Sousuke was picking out some fish meat when he called me over.

"Should we get him tuna, blue marlin, or salmon?" He asked me. "Are those all that's left?" I asked.

"Yes, sir. Most of the fishes we have were sold at yesterday's sale and our supplier arrives at 4 in the afternoon," said the supermarket staff.

"I'll have one of each then." I said.

We walked back to the cart and placed the fishes there. "Does anyone know where Nagisa-kun is?" Rei queried.

"Here!"

 

The small blond dumped an armful of sweets into the cart. "Let's buy these!"

I cringed at the sight of chocolates, pudding and other sugary stuff that will give you diabetes right at the first bite. "Oi, we're shopping for Haru, not for you." I reprimanded him.

"But Haru-chan might like these!" Nagisa defended. "See? I got strawberry sorbet, choco-strawberry daifuku, Poptarts--"

"Nagisa-kun! I told you that too much sugar will cause several health issues!" Rei snapped.

"But they're for Haru-chan!" He whined.

"I got something Haruka might like, too." Sousuke placed a tonkatsu bento and a liter of Pepsi into the cart.

"Oi! Stop shopping for yourselves!" This is getting out of hand now.

"Rin-san, should we go to the counter now?" Rei said, in an attempt to keep those two from raising my credit card bill.

I thought for a moment and looked at the items in the cart. "Hmm... I do need to buy food for myself too. Alright, let's look around some more."

"Yay!" Nagisa cheered. "But," I began. "If you're going to buy anything for yourself, you'll have to pay for it. That goes to you, Nagisa and Sousuke."

"Aye, aye, Rin-chan!" Nagisa affirmed. Sousuke just shrugged. We looked around the supermarket some more and picked up some canned goods and other food to keep at my place. All of us had to stop Nagisa from putting any more sweets into the cart. "Let's just pay for these before he buys out a whole aisle," said Rei.

 

We got to the counter quickly and watched the cashier check out each item in the cart. I didn't think those three would buy this much.

"I am SO not paying for all of that," I said loud enough for the three of them to hear.

"I only have enough for a trip back home," Nagisa said sheepishly.

"I've got 500 yen," Sousuke said nonchalantly.

"I'll cover for Nagisa-kun," Rei sighed.

I watched the cashier pack each item into a bag. I just noticed that the sweets Nagisa picked were strawberry-flavored or had strawberries in it. Either way, I feel like throwing up up if I look at them any longer.

"Here's mine and Nagisa's share, Rin-san," said Rei as he handed me some coins and bills.

"Don't sweat it. You can pay me back when we get home," I replied as I handed the cashier my credit card. Boy, do I hope that I'll get something from this special assignment.

 

After shopping, we drove home. When we arrived, we brought all of the stuff we bought to the bathroom.

The merman, I mean, Haru eyed us curiously. Spike went over and licked my feet. The four of us placed the bags on the floor.

"Haru-chan! I hope you like the stuff we got you!" Nagisa said excitedly. He took out a bag of strawberry jam cookies and opened it. He offered Haru a piece. The merman curiously examined the cookie and gave it a whiff. He then wrinkled his nose and looked away. That's probably a "No" then.

"Eeeh!? How could you not like these, Haru-chan!? I've been eating these since I was in kindergarten!" Nagisa huffed and began consuming the cookies.

It was Rei's turn. "Haruka, do you like shrimp?" He said as he showed him a bag of raw prawns. Haru tilted his head and stared at the water. "How about crab? Squid? Some _nabe_?" Rei got the same reply. 

"Strange, I thought these were a staple merfolk diet." Rei pondered as he put the seafood away. 

Sousuke then picked up the tonkatsu bento. "Oi," he called out. The merman gazed at him in the most uninterested way possible. "You want tonkatsu?"

Haru gave him a look of disgust and turned to the window.

 

We spent an hour digging through the bags and Haru turned down every food we could offer him. Rei sighed in defeat. 

"Well, there's one thing we haven't offered him yet," the scientist said. "This canned mackerel."

I took the can from Rei and showed Haru the contents. The merman's eyes sparkled like crystals in the light. He reached out and took a piece.

"You might want to be careful with the can or you'll cut yourself," I told Haru. "Nagisa, can you get me a plate from downstairs?"

"Yessir!" And the blond sprinted down and, in less than a minute, returned with a white porcelain plate in his hand. I placed the rest of mackerel on the plate and gave it to Haru. He ate them with the delight of a child, even if he barely showed a smile.

"Anyway, what do we do with all these?" Sousuke gestured at the food on the floor. 

"Weeell~ since Haru-chan is eating, let's join him, too!" Nagisa said as he sat on the floor and grabbed a loaf of Iwatobi-bikkuri pan. Rei joined him and reached for the salad. Sousuke sat on the toilet cover and opened up the tonkatsu bento.

"What about you, Rin-san?" Rei asked me before he bit onto a lettuce. "Nah, I'm not hungry," I answered.

I felt something tug my shirt. Haru offered me the last two pieces of mackerel. 

"Nah, not a fan of fish," I turned him down. He then lowered his head and his eyes lost their gleam. "A-ah, geez, okay... I'll have the other one." I said as I picked up the smaller piece of mackerel and ate it. It wasn't as bad as I thought. But it still wasn't my type. Anyway, as long as it doesn't make Haru sad then I guess I'm good.

 

We pretty much spent the afternoon eating on the cold tiles of my bathroom floor. When we were done, Rei, Sousuke and Nagisa helped me arrange the groceries in the kitchen. Nagisa put all his teeth-rotting snacks in one grocery bag. No way am I keeping those here. 

"Nagisa, are you even human?" I took one last look at the chocolate and artificially-flavored snacks. Cringe-worthy.

"I need sugar to power me up! Astronaut training is tougher than you think!" He replied.

"Anyway, Rin-san, I think we should go home now. You need the time with Haruka, don't you?" Rei said. "In case you need anything else, we're always here for you."

"Alright, thanks for everything, guys." I led them to the door. Rei handed me the amount he and Nagisa owed me at the supermarket. "What about you, Sou?" I grinned at my best friend.

"Tomorrow's payday," he replied as he went to his motorcycle. "You always say that when you owe me!" I retorted.

"Bye-bye, Rin-chan! And to Haru-chan too!" Nagisa waved before he and Rei began walking to the train station. Sousuke waved off as he rode into the street.

 

I went back up to the bathroom. Haruka watched me take my seat and scanned the book for the chapter I last read. He then went back to watching whatever was out the window. Spike was napping next to the tub.

 

While I was reading, I felt Haru stare at me. I looked up and met his eyes. "What's wrong?" He shook his head.

"What do you think of Sousuke and the others?" He tilted his head. "Do you like them? Even if they're a bit crazy at times, they're still my friends and I know I can trust them." 

Haru nodded. He gave me a soft smile.

"It's too bad you didn't see Makoto, though. He used to be afraid of the ocean, thinking that there was something down there that'll drag him into the darkness," I said. "But he got over that fear and I'm glad he did. And if he sees you, I could just tell him that if there was a creature that'll drown him in the deepest parts of the sea, there will be someone who can rescue him, too."

I glanced at the clock and saw the time. It was six-thirty in the evening. Time really flies when you have company. 

"Anyway, it's almost dinnertime. Do you want to eat again?" I asked him. He shook his head lightly.

 

Suddenly, my phone buzzed and I checked the message. It was from Seijuuro. He was asking me to pick up my payslip and to talk to him about how Haru is doing. I sent him my reply and looked at Haru. "I'll be gone tomorrow morning, alright? I promise I won't take long." I told him. His lips twitched and he would have protested against me if he could talk. I sighed and ruffled his hair lightly. "Come on now, it's not like you'll never see me home again. I'll get you some more mackerel when I get back." 

He looked up and the sparkle in his eyes came back. For a grown merhuman, Haru is adorable no matter what. 

 

I went to the kitchen and Spike followed. I figured the easiest dinner right now would be soup so I boiled some water and poured in the ingredients. While waiting, I filled up Spike's feeding bowl and he ate. After dinner, I did my usual routine and went to bed.

 

Tomorrow's another day with Haru. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3 is coming up. I promise I won't delay it any further! Thanks for reading ^___^ Also, Nagisa is me when shopping for snacks XD

**Author's Note:**

> Hiya! Thanks for reading. I've been wanting to write a Future Fish AU with Mer!Haru in it. I promise to update this as often as I can. So far I have the first, second and last chapter down. I know, I'm weird for finishing the ending first LOL
> 
> Anywho, comments are always welcome :) *bows* Grazie!


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